Banyana duo happy with new deals abroad
Mulaudzi, Lebo sign with Minsk
A short contract can motivate you to push more, opens new opportunities
As some women’s football lovers are iffy about SA players frequently signing shortterm contracts overseas, Banyana Banyana pair Rhoda Mulaudzi and Lebogang Ramalepe are unfazed by this trend.
On Friday, Mulaudzi and Ramalepe joined Belarusian Women’s Premier League giants Dinamo Minsk on a sixmonth deal apiece. The duo linked up with fellow Banyana star Bambanani Mbane, who joined Minsk in February.
While 2020 will go down as the most fruitful year for SA far as exporting women’s footballers to Europe, seeing them being offered brief deals has set tongues wagging as many question why this seems to be always the case.
Speaking with SA Football Journalists’ Association (Safja) in a joint Zoom conference from Belarus yesterday, Mulaudzi and Ramalepe sounded comfortable with the brief deals they were given.
“What I have learnt is that most of the European countries, when they sign players, it doesn’t matter which country you are from, they normally start with a year contract,” Mulaudzi said.
“From my side, I feel like it’s best to get a year or a shorter deal so that you don’t relax. A short contract can motivate you to push more. It can also enable you to get more opportunities, it can be easy to move from another team if that opportunity comes.”
Ramalepe echoed Mulaudzi’s reasoning that a brief deal can motivate a player to fight harder to earn a better one.
“[When you get a short-term deal] that’s where you have to showcase your talent... so that you’ll get better opportunities,” noted Ramalepe, who transferred from Limpopo Sasol National League outfit Ma-Indies.
Having played for Australian side Canberra United and Apollon Ladies of Cyprus in the past, the 30-year-old Mulaudzi isn’t a stranger to overseas football, while it’s Ramalepe’s first time out abroad.
Mulaudzi left these shores after helping Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies clinch the inaugural Safa National Women’s League.
Other notable Banyana players who recently went abroad:
● Kelso Peskin signed a oneyear deal with Stade Brestois 29 Feminine in France;
● Nothando Vilakazi joined EDF Logrono Feminino (Spain);
● Amanda Mthandi signed with CDB Badajoz Feminino (Spain);
● Janine van Wyk signed with Glasgow City (Scotland); and
● Thembi Kgatlana linked up with Eiber (Spain) for the 2020-21 season.